Gasping for air as if punched in the stomach, Niclas’s jaw fell slack. Reverberating above the sound of crashing water, Seth words had weakened the iron around his heart.
Seeing the physical response to his argument, Seth made his final push against destiny. “Have you become one of those monsters, Niclas? Is revenge really going to change anything?” He holstered his weapon and held his arms to his sides, looking expectantly at the man shaking before him.
Niclas drew a deep breath and shouted defiantly above the growing clamor of the reservoir. “This is not revenge! My life was guided to this point for a far higher purpose than retribution. He brought his free hand across his body in a horizontal arc as if attempting to sweep the assertion away like a swarm of angry hornets. “I’ve been granted the power, the responsibility, to bury prejudice once and for all. It is as simple as that.” His voice turned raspy as his heart crowded his throat.
“How can you say it’s not about revenge,” asked Seth, shaking his head doubtfully. “Professor Shukla told me how you lost your father and brother in the war. Is anyone going to believe that putting your brother’s name on that test tube was just sentiment?” Nodding once, he motioned to the vial still shivering in Niclas’s right hand. “Don’t do it unless you think it’s really what he’d want.”
Time seemed to slow for Niclas as he stared back at Seth in astonishment. The man before him was too young to know what evil the world was capable of, but somehow he comprehended a core issue that he had never allowed himself to consider. Were the years of planning and perfecting the virus meant to save humanity from bigotry, or was this a way to strike a final blow to Hitler and the rest of the heretics who shattered his hope? Coming to a heart-wrenching realization, he knew it couldn’t be both.
Bending his right arm stiffly inward, he brought his clenched hand to his chest. With feeling quickly returning to his hand, he reaffirmed his grip on the fragile test tube. “How is the man who fell on the staircase?” The decades-long spell of obsession drifted slowly away.
An almost undetectable sigh of relief escaped from Seth’s lungs. “There was a medic giving him fluids when I left. He opened his eyes and asked about his car, so I think he’ll make it.” It dawned on him that Niclas must have been responsible for stabilizing Leo’s wound. “You saved my friend’s life. Thank you.” He offered an exhausted but sincere smile.
Unwilling to accept any praise for his actions, Niclas shook his head. “I am responsible for your friend’s wounds. I merely attempted to right a mistake.” Still holding the glass vial to his chest, he realized how close he’d come to becoming the very thing he hated. “Thank you for keeping me from making another.” He looked back up at Seth with grateful tears in his eyes.
Taking a few steps forward, Seth reached out his hand. “Give me the vial and let’s go back inside,” he requested softly.
Niclas’s silvery hair wavered lightly in the breeze as he willingly extended his arm toward outward. Time-hardened lines of worry and pain softened as he allowed himself to finally give away the burden which had weighed him down for nearly half a century. His penance was paid, but the task fate had demanded of him was incomplete.
Seth watched the elderly man’s expression change from quiet contemplation to one of shock as a gunshot pierced through the thunder of rumbling water. Lurching backward a step, he brought the vile reflexively back to his sternum, a small stain of red spread quickly at the center of his chest. Turning to see where the bullet had come from, he saw Agent Toth leaning heavily against the chain-link fence, still groggy from the chloroform. Helpless, he screamed as Joshua squeezed off another round before stumbling to the ground in a haze. “No!”
The shrill sound of breaking glass could be heard as the second shot followed the first, bursting through Niclas’s hand, breaking the test tube, embedding shrapnel deeply into his lungs.
Seth dashed forward to grab Niclas as he slumped backward in an awkward heap. Managing to grab him around the waist, he kept him from plummeting into the roiling reservoir. Centering him on his back, He tore open the man’s blood-soaked shirt. Despite several shards of broken glass pushing into his palms, he applied direct pressure to the seeping wounds. “Lie still,” he said, looking frantically into the man’s desperate eyes.
Struggling for air, Niclas looked up at the pained expression of a man he barely knew. “Please, take care of Walter…he didn’t…” He choked on bright red blood gushing profusely from his nose and mouth. He moaned hoarsely, the pain forcing him back into his native tongue, “Mein Gott. Was haba ich gemacht?”
Seth strained to hear what the dying man was trying to say more, but lungs filled with blood and bile stopped the transmission of sound.
Shuddering, Niclas looked to the sky as his body fell limp. His suffering was no more.
Still pressing relentlessly against the wounds, Seth could no longer feel the sensation of life pulsating against his hands. With nothing more to be done, he eased back and sat wearily in the center of the bloodied catwalk. Resting one hand in his lap, he brought the other to his forehead. He allowed his hand to drift slowly down his face, leaving streaks of blood, as he tried to shake the shell shock brought on by the mayhem of the last few moments. A small stream of blood trickled down the side of his face from a newly formed cut. He reached up with his hand to touch the fresh laceration but stopped the movement when he saw a small shard of glass protruding from his palm. In an instant of horror, he remembered Niclas’s vial.
A surge of adrenaline moved him forward to reach for Niclas’s mutilated hand, still partially clasped in a tight fist. He pried open the ridged fingers, locked in a grip of death, to find only splinters of glass and a ruby-stained label marked with the name Eldwin. Numb to the pain of glass digging further into his palms, he grabbed Niclas’s legs and dragged his lifeless body back toward the pump house. Out of respect for the dead, he folded the elderly man’s frail arms over his bloodied chest. Carefully stepping over the broken body, he proceeded quickly out onto the catwalk. His legs felt rubbery under his own weight and he stumbled slightly but managed to catch himself against the thin metal railing. As if in a trance, his arms stretched out to grasp each railing and he continued his slow procession toward the end. Reaching the spot where Niclas had taken his final breath, a pool of viscous blood seeped slowly through small open slots in the grating, willing him to look down.
Through the steel lattice beneath his feet, Seth could see the water in the reservoir, churning and writhing like a living thing. Deep shades of red faded to pink, quickly becoming undetectable as the unrelenting dilution of Niclas’s legacy continued unimpeded. Now one with the clear blue water below, the tainted flow escaped methodically into a maze of pipes, outlets and the very air itself. The unsuspecting citizens of Madison would be just the first step on a worldwide march.
Despite his ultimate change of heart, Kappel’s virus had been unleashed.
Chapter 36
Water Under the Bridge
Several Years Later
A CLOUDLESS BLUE sky and seventy-degree temperatures whispered the promise of yet another perfect summer day in the sleepy Wisconsin town of Cedarburg. The smell of fresh-cut grass mingled favorably with the seductive aroma of various meats being grilled throughout the small suburb. Above it all the happy sounds of children’s laughter approached on a gentle breeze. The voices grew louder and more excited as they drew ever nearer to a white, two-story house nestled in the shade of a large oak tree at the end of a secluded cul-de-sac.
Dumping a healthy measure of charcoal into his barbeque grill, Seth doused it with his customary amount of lighting fluid. He tossed a lit match on the pile of briquettes and instinctively jumped back from the ensuing fireball rising like a solar flare in his direction. Bringing one hand to his face, he quickly patted his forehead to ensure that he still had eyebrows. A smattering of loud laughs could be heard coming from inside the house, no doubt made by those lucky few who had happened to catch a glimpse of the im
promptu light show. He breathed a sigh of relief at having avoided being significantly singed. “I’m ok! Your concern is touching, though,” he yelled, waving back toward the house with a wry smile.
A group of neighbourhood kids wandered past carrying colorfully wrapped boxes. “Hi, Mr. Alexander,” they called in unison, rushing excitedly toward the house. “Awesome ’splosion!” exclaimed one of the younger boys before running to catch up with the rest of the group heading inside.
His face unusually warm, Seth hoped it was simply embarrassment causing his condition. He ran his fingers over his scalp, just to be sure. His hair had thinned enough over the years, and he had no desire to help it along. The edges of the coals slowly turned white, as if being frostbitten in the middle of an inferno. Before he could settle into the fire bearer’s trance that so many men seemed susceptible to, he heard a low rumble echoing from far down the street. Reminiscent of a thunderstorm rolling slowly across a glassy lake, the sound grew louder as its source approached. Seeing the unmistakable shape of Gertrude rambling around the corner brought a broad smile to his face.
Her brakes squeaked loudly as Gertrude came to a rest with one tire resting high on the curb. The heavy green door swung open and Leo emerged slowly from the driver’s side. Removing his sunglasses, he called toward Seth. “Hey, is it all right that I park here? I don’t want to make your neighbor’s jealous.”
“You still driving that thing? Didn’t they give you a raise when you took Bob’s job?” Seth shouted back, pointing at the green monstrosity and shrugging his shoulders.
Tossing his sunglasses down on the driver’s seat, Leo feigned offence at the suggestion. “What are you talking about? She’s even more of a classic now!” he yelled back, unable to stifle his own toothy grin.
Leaning inside, he emerged with two boxes wrapped in bright blue paper. “Besides, they just wanted me off the street and behind a desk, and you know it.” He pushed the car door shut with his rump and limped toward the house. Although his doctor insisted he use a cane, Leo rarely did so in public. He saw it as a sign of weakness despite Seth’s insistence that a walking stick made him look distinguished.
“I don’t think so, man. Bob really wanted you to take the position when he retired. Why else would he have recommended you?”
Leo paused a moment, thinking about the question, then nodded as he found the answer. “I’m pretty sure it’s because Dolores told him to, bro.”
Laughing aloud at the probable truth of the statement, Seth took the gifts from Leo and placed them on a small table next to a hefty pile of uncooked hot dogs, bratwurst, and hamburgers. Opening the lid of a nearby cooler, he pulled out a couple of cold beers and handed one to Leo.
“Spotted Cow, my favorite! Thanks, bro,” said Leo, twisting off the cap of his favorite Wis-centric brew and taking a healthy swig. He looked around and admired the well-manicured lawn. “So, where’s Sarah?”
“She’s trying to keep the house from imploding while I man the grill. You know, the usual agreement,” he answered, smiling lightly. He cocked a singed eyebrow mischievously at his old partner. “So, how are things with the professor?”
Taking another long swig of cold beer, Leo stood in silence a moment before answering. “She’s at another summit with the rest of the brain trust—in Switzerland.” Sighing deeply, Leo was clearly jealous of having to constantly share his brilliant wife with the rest of the world. “She just loves that you still call her that, by the way,” he winked.
Amused, Seth took a sip of beer and checked the coals to see how they were coming along. “I’m sure she misses you too, pal.”
Maintaining his quiet demeanor for a moment longer, Leo watching a bead of condensation roll lazily down the brown glass of his beer bottle. “How the heck are the twins ten years old already?” he asked with a disbelieving groan, contemplating the passage of time.
Taking a long drink of his own beer, Seth held his free hand a few inches above the whitening coals to test their readiness. “It seems like we just brought them home from the hospital yesterday,” he said in a somber, reminiscent tone. “I’m still catching up on sleep.” Nodding his head seriously, he moved his hand away from the growing heat of the grill and put the metal grate in place over the glowing embers.
His stomach grumbling, Leo looked ravenously at the pile of uncooked hamburgers and brats resting on a nearby tray. Skipping breakfast that morning hadn’t been a good idea, but it had been far longer since he saw his friend, so he decided to ignore his hunger, for now anyway. “You never come into the office anymore! And no, seeing your ugly mug on the phone doesn’t count,” he said, laughing as he finished off the last of his beer and held it out in front of him expectantly. “Man down.”
Taking the empty and set it on the ground, Seth opened the cooler to retrieve another beverage for his thirsty friend. “The rookie you’ve got me babysitting keeps me too busy to make social calls.” He handed the cool bottle to Leo with a sideways look. “I swear that kid reminds me of Joshua now and then. She lectured me for jaywalking last week!” he complained with a shake of his head, only half joking.
Rearing back slightly, Leo Laughed so hard that he almost spilled his beer. “Nah, back then Toth would have called a cop to make sure you got a ticket,” he giggled, the thought tickling his funny bone. “You’re right though, she is a bit by-the-book. That’s why I wanted her to follow you around for a while,” he said, taking another drink. “I’m pretty sure you lost the book years ago.”
Unable to deny that he didn’t always adhere strictly to protocol, Seth still didn’t think being saddled with every gung-ho freshmen that came alone was very fair. “What? Toth wasn’t torture enough? It took a couple years to finally get him shaped up after…” he stopped midsentence, realizing that they had never really talked about the day Leo was injured. The road to physical recovery was long for Leo, but nothing compared to the emotional wounds they all sustained that day.
From the look on Leo’s face, It appeared that some wounds may never heal. His expression distant, he took another long drink. Seth set down his beverage and picked up the tray of raw meat. There was an immediate sizzle as he began strategically placing burgers and bratwurst on the surface of the hot grill.
Breathing deeply in through his nostrils, Leo turned his attention toward the intoxicating scent drifting up from the cooking meat. “That smells amazing, bro. The boss won’t let me near this kind of food anymore,” he said, changing the subject. “I still say fat and happy go hand-in-hand, but she begs to differ.”
Seeing no need to turn the visit into a therapy session, Seth finished putting the last burger in place. “I’ll be sure to tell Sarah to leave this part out the next time they talk,” he promised. “We’ll say we made you eat a salad.”
Leo smiled appreciatively. “Ask her to keep the discussion on the kids. I know Manisha enjoys hearing about them,” he suggested. “I do too, now that I think about it. What are the little agents up to these days, anyway?”
Pulling the lid over the grill, Seth watched the temperature gauge begin its slow ascent. “I think Jared is going to be the sports star of the family,” he said proudly, gesturing with a swing of long-handled tongs like a baseball bat.
“What about Leonard?” asked Leo, trying to cover up the loud growls coming from his empty belly.
“Leonard takes after his mother. He’s becoming quite the artist, compared to the stick-figure gallery I would put on display.” He lifted the domed lid, releasing a mushroom cloud of white smoke and began the process of flipping each piece of meat over. Flames reached greedily up through the grate as drops of grease added fuel to the white-hot coals below. With the last bratwurst turned and burger flipped, he lowered the lid back onto the grill and looked at his wristwatch. “Two minutes and we’re good to go,” he smiled, his formula for cooking the perfect burger reaching the final stage.
Leo took another gulp of adult beverage and licked his lips. “Well, there goes my figure,” he said
, patting his stomach with a smile.
Seth picked up a large, clean tray and handed it to Leo, who quickly finished off his beer and set the empty on the ground. Seth lifted the lid off the grill and began hastily removing the perfectly cooked fare and piling it high on the platter. Leo’s mouth watered as he fought the urge to tear into one of the steaming burgers right then and there.
“Grab the gifts and let’s go feed the troops,” said Seth, taking the overburdened tray from his ravenous guest.
As if hypnotized by the plate of glistening, succulent meat, Leo scooped up the presents he had brought and probably would have grabbed the blistering grill if Seth had suggested it.
Just as they reached the house, the front door swung open. They were greeted warmly by a dark-haired woman whose blue eyes were wide at the sight of all the food resting precariously on the straining metal tray. “Whoa, that looks like enough to feed a small army! Good thing we’ve got one,” she said, pointing her thumb at the throng of hungry children in the dining room.
Poking his head around Seth’s shoulder, Leo made his presence known. “Not if I get to it first, Sarah!” he joked.
“Leo! I thought I felt the house shaking when you got here,” she teased warmly. Taking the gifts from his arms, she gave him a welcoming peck on the cheek.
Leaning casually against a wooden banister, Leo tried to hide the fact that his leg needed some rest. “Nice to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor after having to put up with this gringo for so long,” he said with a crooked smile. “Manisha says she’ll call you when she gets back.”
Smiling in response, she turned to look at the mound of food and grinned at her husband. “So, why are you so willing to cook outside, but always seem to find a way to get out of cooking in the kitchen?” Just then a small group of rambunctious children came screaming past, blowing party favors and yelling above one another. “Never mind. I get it,” she said with an understanding smirk. She turned to take the presents into the dining room, dodging scampering little bodies along the way.
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